Notes 1/16

Colleen Dowling "The Cinderella Complex"
Dowling's wish to be saved is not some new, unique wish. It is a wish held by many people (I would venture to say men and women alike) and I think it is a fairy tale that many people at least want to believe in--even if they are embarrassed to admit it, or know that it probably won't come true.


I also think that Dowling's view on the independence of women is influenced by the time period in which she grew up. Her upward battle to achieve a level of independence may have been much more driven by the societal constrictions of her time. Thus, the "collapse" of her ambition may have seemed the inevitable outcome of her journey towards independence. Obviously, this is a negative societal attitude that needs to be changed.

QUIZ: Weight--Introduction by Jeanette Winterson
*In the artistic re-telling of fariy tales, does art help counteract idealogy?
Yes. According to Winterson, re-telling stories is about finding the permanent truths about human nature. In finding such truths, idealogy can be contested; people will hear new versions of the same old story, and these versions will offer up ideas in opposition to their cultural idealogy. Such ideas of oppostions will thus force the reader (or listener) to question the idealogy they have so far unquestioningly proscribed to.

NOTES:
We make unconscious assumptions about masculine/feminine roles, as illustrated in the telling of the 'Cinderella Story." This story is told over and over and over again, and thus puts pressure upon girls to be Cinderella, and for boys to be Prince Charming. In order to be Cinderella or Prince Charming, the implication is that you can't be yourself. Furthermore, the societal importance of the question 'What to you do?" shows our automatic way of defining people by the jobs that they have.

The re-telling of fairy tales can counteract idealogy, or at least question and re-interpret it. And since we can't really live without an idealogy, a story can serve as an additional tool in forming yet another (variation of or completely new) idealogy. Angela Carter's version of "Ashputtle": empowering to the mother, who chooses to be self-sacrificing. The mother pushes her child into independence, and Ashputtle "does all right." There were thus many options in her reaction to the sacrifices her mother made for her (wanting everything or giving back)